EM Rodgers, an international haulage firm based in Northampton was issued with a fine of £66,000 when six stowaways were discovered in one of its trucks.
Ed Rogers, a director, said the company went “above and beyond” what the UK government require hauliers to ensure that their vehicles were secured, yet six people were still able to gain access.
He said the fine was “frankly ridiculous” and is now seeking legal advice. The incident happened in November 2023 after a truck, returning from Italy, was stopped by the UK Border Force at Calais and the stowaways were discovered.
Image: EM Rogers Transport
Rogers claims they always go through the scanners on the French side before crossing to the UK side. Speaking on GB News, he said, “At the end of the day our guys are just normal guys going about their work and they’re not Border Force agents, they are not security guards. He and we are being punished on this occasion for not fulfilling those roles.
“We send 50 trucks every week into the EU so we do over 2,500 crossings a year into Europe. So for us to speak up and say, ‘This is unfair’, we need to be doing it and speaking loudly about it because this can happen on almost every trip.”
The director said it was optimistic it could fight the penalty but he also said it was aware the situation could happen again at any time: “These are organised criminals putting people in vehicles and with the number of crossings we do every week, we are susceptible to it.
“It’s becoming more and more challenging. Our guys can’t park safely around Calais overnight. There is no secure parking and so they are parking up further and further away.
The Home Office said the company was aware of the processes involved in securing vehicles and that issues with stowaways were “a long standing problem” at EM Rogers.
A spokesman said: “We are relentless in our pursuit of those who seek to enter the UK illegally, and stand ready to respond robustly to clandestine arrivals.
“Far too many vehicles are not adequately secured to stop migrants boarding them. That’s why, in the last 12 months, we have strengthened the haulier civil penalty with significantly increased financial penalties to ensure that drivers are taking every reasonable step to deter illegal migration and disrupt people smugglers.”
